BRoP interview: J.S. Hazzard

Welcome to J.S. Hazzard, this week’s Blog Ring of Power guest. Here’s what she has to say about herself: “I grew up in a tiny town in Western New York and now live in the suburbs of Buffalo with my husband and our little pit bull, Casanova. After years of term papers and legal briefs, I decided to attempt writing fiction mainly to see if I could do it. (It also sounded a lot more fun and possibly easier than practicing law.)

Looking back, I’m pretty sure somebody must have slipped me special kool-aid, because there’s nothing easy about the worlds of writing and publishing. That said, releasing Blood Leverage has been a joy, and I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve received.

The only thing better than writing something you love is having someone else love something you’ve written. I absolutely love discussing Blood Leverage with my readers, so if you liked my work or have a suggestion for me to improve, I’d love to hear from you! I do my best to personally answer each and every one of my emails, and I can be reached through http://www.jshazzard.com.”

Where do you get your story ideas? Honestly, in the case of Blood Leverage, I just wrote the vampire story that I wanted to read. I’d read too many vampire stores that revolved entirely around the secret love life of a teenage girl.

How do you deal with writer’s block? Knock on wood, but I’ve never dealt with writer’s block in the traditional sense of having no ideas. I think law school helped with that. I’m used to viewing problems from every possible angle and considering every possible solution. I love the limitless possibilities for “what happens next”, and thoroughly enjoy dissecting each option until I find the best fit.

Are you a “plotter” or a “pantser” (do you plan/outline the story ahead of time or write “by the seat of your pants”)? Blood Leverage was very much by the seat of my pants, largely because I had no clue what I was doing when I started. However, the subsequent books are quite strictly outlined. I think it’s often painfully obvious to a reader when an author doesn’t plan out the ending of a series in advance. And not in a good way.

Do you use critique partners or beta readers? Why or why not? Unless you’re the freak author’s equivalent of Mozart, I believe critique partners and beta readers are an absolute must for a quality end product. Fresh eyes are invaluable.

How much time do you spend on resarch? What type of research do you do? Bring it on! I love me some research. I’ve researched a ton of things for Blood Leverage. Economics, doomsday scenarios, power plant infrastructure, ancient French history, multiple religions, agriculture, alternative energy sources, medieval artisanal practices…. I could go on for a really long time.

BLOOD LEVERAGE: As humanity struggles with the aftermath of a century-long vampiric bloodbath, life outside the remaining great cities revolves around being inside by sunset and never questioning the status quo.Aurora Strong is practically a pariah in her village thanks to her mother’s infamous involvement with vampires — not to mention her own inability to play by the rules. Not content with being a mere social outcast, Rory conspires in a secret, and very illegal, blood brokering scheme. She enjoys her private rebellion against the town that shuns her — until her partner in crime goes missing, and suddenly it’s not about her anymore.